1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to art image-forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related art
An image-forming apparatus for personal use, including a copying machine and a printer, is usually of small size and is placed on a desk. Such an apparatus incorporates a sheet feeder that holds a stack of print medium such as paper in an inclined position. The paper is fed from the sheet feeder and then information is printed on the paper. The paper is then discharged to a paper stack at either the front end or the rear end of the image-forming apparatus.
An image-forming apparatus for office use is of large size and incorporates a paper-feeding section having paper cassettes that hold a stack of print medium lying horizontal, or has paper cassettes that hold a stack of print medium therein and obliquely project outwardly from the main body of the apparatus. Such paper cassettes usually take up as large an area as one complete desk or a half of it.
An apparatus for personal use occupies a considerable area on the desk, leaving only a limited space where the user can do deskwork. This makes the clerical work inefficient. A large-size apparatus occupies a relatively large area at a corner in the office, making the remaining office space small.
The present invention was made in view of the aforementioned drawbacks of the conventional apparatus. An image-forming apparatus is of upright construction. A medium-feeding section accommodates a stack of print medium. An image-forming section is disposed in vertical alignment with the medium-feeding section, the image-forming section printing information on a page of the print medium fed from the medium-feeding section. A stacker is disposed in vertical alignment with the image-forming section. The stacker receives the page of the print medium that has been printed and accommodates the page of the print medium in an upright orientation.
The image-forming section is above the medium-feeding section and the stacker is above the image-forming section.
The stacker may have a visible indicator by which a user can detect the presence and absence of the print medium.
The stacker may have a sensor that generates a detection signal when the print medium is received therein. The visible indication is an alarm that informs the user of the presence and absence of the print medium in the stacker according to the detection signal.
The stacker may have a transparent portion that serves as the visible indicator.
The medium-feeding section accommodates the stack of print medium that is at least partly curved.
The image-forming section is a tandem type electrophotographic apparatus with a plurality of image drum cartridges that are disposed in vertical alignment with one another.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.